Program Gives Kids Goals to Shoot for--on and off the Ice

Raylina Flores didn’t mind dressing from head to toe in pounds of bulky ice hockey gear on one of the hottest days of summer.

Flores, 14, was playing it cool.

She is among 50 youngsters participating in the first hockey camp at Disney Ice skating rink.

“At least we get to play on the ice instead of in the sun,” Flores said.

The summer camp is offered through Disney GOALS--Growth Opportunities through Athletics, Learning and Service. The program offers free recreational and educational opportunities for disadvantaged youngsters in parts of Anaheim and Garden Grove.

About 400 students, ages 6 to 19, are enrolled and participate in activities ranging from ice hockey and roller hockey to tutoring, job training and community service.

Dave Wilk, GOALS executive director, said the two-week hockey camp is offered at no cost to the players, most of them new to the program.

The camp, operated four hours each day, gives students a chance to sharpen their skills and have fun, Wilk said.

The young players, who are provided with hockey gear, receive individual attention and brush up on techniques from skating and stick handling to passing and shooting, Wilk said.

Edwin Diaz, 15, said the camp “is a great idea because you’re doing something that you love to do.”

Vince Fregoso, 13, volunteers at the camp to help his peers with hockey drills and to give back to the program that helped him achieve and set goals of his own--he wants to be a pro hockey player.

“People [with Disney GOALS] helped me better my skills, so now I want to help the other kids build up their skills so they’ll play better,” Fregoso said.